Paradigm Shift
by oathkeeper512
Summary: Sequel to The Difference Between Myth and Reality. Three years since Cloud came back from Pulse and his mind slowly starts to forget his time with Lightning. However, when word reaches him of her possible appearance in his world it's up to him to get her home but is it really all that simple? As complications arise Cloud must choose between a life in Edge or a life with Lightning.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N PLEASE READ :** Gooooood morning everyone! How are we all feeling today? Are we feeling up for a sequel to The Difference Between Myth and Reality by any chance? I know I am! I'm sorry this has taken so long, I only ever had a rough idea but now I have a much more confident outlook on where I'm going to take this story. Thank you so much to everyone who suggested names for the sequel but Shuredda Sora took the cake with "Paradigm Shift" because essentially...that's what this is! I know this first chapter is short but it's just a taster of what's to come really. I would just like to point out that whilst I do have FF13-2 sitting on my shelf waiting to be played I know nothing about it so obviously none of the events from this story will coincide with anything that happens in FF13-2. I would also like to point out that i'm going to draw this story out a lot more than it's prequel, mainly because I had so much fun writing TDBMAR and it was over so soon, plus I can take my time developing the characters and story in more depth and breadth.

And now...ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of ALL ages, get comfy in your seats, turn off all mobile phones and recording equipment because the show is about to begin!

* * *

It was only when he pulled up outside the bar that a wave of panic suddenly hit him. A shockwave of fear pummelled through him making him physically shudder. The blonde sat on his bike for what seemed like hours just staring at the vehicle parked outside the bar. It just glared at him through bustling streets, egging him forward with curiosity.

Tifa's bar had its regulars, Cloud knew them all by name and hell even knew some of their addresses. He made it his obligation to promote her bar as much as possible when he made his deliveries. The point was that the blonde knew these people, he served them drinks, chatted with them about sport and even gave them advice on their lives but most of all, he knew what they drove. Cloud had _never_ seen this bike before.

It was a strange bike, he thought whilst dismounting off of his own. The streaks of blue seemed to glow as he walked towards it almost like a friendly gesture but the swordsman grimaced at it in response. This bike was foreign to Edge and anything foreign usually spelt trouble. Cloud hastily hopped up the steps to the bar, his hand eager in pushing the wooden frame open.

The sight he was met with pushed him into unsheathing his sword causing gasps of horror from those in the room "Cloud?!" Tifa screeched, her eyes wide at his brash and somewhat hasty move.

The blonde however took no notice of her panicked confusion as he laid his cerulean gaze upon the intruder. The bar went silent as the new customer placed his drink down on the bar slowly, his back still facing the ex-SOLDIER. Cloud eyed him suspiciously; his broad shoulders coupled with his calm aura made him a threat in the blondes eyes "get out." Cloud spoke slowly causing Tifa's mouth to casually drop open

"Aw..." the man spoke, turning around with a cheeky grin "seriously Cloud? I thought we were friend's man!" Cloud's sword dropped a little as the intruder revealed himself

"How..." Cloud muttered, his eyes widening

"You remember, don't you Cloud? It's _me_...Snow!"

* * *

The bar went back to the regular atmosphere once Cloud had shut away his temper. The background music of clinking glasses and muffled chatter acted as a backdrop to Cloud's awkward encounter. They hadn't said anything since Cloud sat down, the blonde couldn't really think of much to say at all.

Tifa, on the other hand, had been swooping in and out of their silent conversation after serving customers, pressing both of them to communicate in some way. Eventually, after many hard glances from his female companion, the blonde managed to ask the most obvious question "what are you doing here Snow?"

"I need your help." He replied, his eyes not meeting Clouds. Whilst Cloud's curiosity was suddenly sparked he knew that Snow just being here put his family in danger and that was a risk he would not take "sorry, not happening." He mumbled, slipping off of the barstool

"Cloud! Please!"

"It's not happening Snow." Tifa glanced up at Cloud warily as her serving of customers slowed

"So it's alright for us to help you but when we need it...!" Snow stood from his seat and the bar quietened once more. Cloud had halted, his heart pounding in his ears as he thought about his time in _their_ world "you never helped me." Cloud finished, walking towards the back room

"No...I didn't but _she_ did and she's missing." Tifa frowned and placed the glass she was holding down on the bar

"Why don't you two go in the back room and discuss this." She seethed, giving Cloud a glare. The blonde eyed Snow carefully before beckoning him into the room behind the bar "I can't do this on my own Cloud." Snow took a seat at the wooden table in the middle of the room, his eyes glancing in every direction "you have kids?" he asked, gesturing to a photo of Denzel stood in front of the bar with Marlene. Cloud gave no response as he leant against one of the units "you can't come here, make a huge scene and then expect me to help you."

"Excuse me! I think it was you who made the scene!" Snow answered glumly, his head dropping towards the floor. His shoulders seemed to tense as the moments passed and Cloud let out a sigh of impatience "what do you mean she's missing?" he asked, unfolding his arms and taking the seat opposite his distressed companion. Snow locked eyes with the swordsman for a moment, a glimmer of hope sparking in his eyes "well that's just it! I don't-we don't really-...I-...!"

"Relax. Start from the beginning."

"Sarah and I were meant to meet her at the beach but she never showed..."

"And?" Cloud pushed, seemingly leaning forward in anticipation

"We went to her new apartment on Pulse...it was trashed."

"Trashed?!"

"The door was smashed in, broken glass everywhere and every piece of furniture had either been burnt or torn apart." Snow's eyes darkened slightly "Then we found blood."

"How much?" Cloud asked after a moment of silence

"Enough to cause concern."

"Are you sure it's hers?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. Cloud, if she's injured...in a place like this she could-"

"I know...but she won't be put down that easily and you know it." Again another moment of silence passed over them, Cloud looked over his shoulder to see Tifa still serving customers. He leant in close to Snow, his voice barely above a whisper "how did you get here Snow? It's impossible without...other worldly help." Cloud shrugged as he spoke but this only caused a small smirk to appear on the other man's face

"It's crazy right? Look, I can't really explain it..."

"Why?"

"It's just...weird. To be honest, I'm not really sure _how_ to explain it...but I can show you."

"Show me?" Cloud glanced out a window, it was getting dark and he knew all too well that anywhere outside of a city was dangerous after dark "we'll go in the morning. You look like you need some rest."

"I'm fine Cloud, let's just go!"

"Hey! I had to abide by your rules so now you abide by mine, got it?" the blonde snapped, standing from his seat. Snow settled back down as Cloud went out of the room to fetch some blankets for their guest but on his return trip Tifa caught him "Cloud..."

"I'll explain later."

"No, you explain now!" she snapped "who is this guy? Is he safe? You do realise that Marlene and Denzel are upstairs don't you?"

"Tifa..." Cloud mumbled, staring at her wholeheartedly. It took a few moments but she relented, allowing the blonde to pass her and back into the room "we leave early. You've got one shot Snow, if I think there's anything funny going on I'm gonna' kick your ass all the way back to Pulse understand?"

"Yes sir." Snow scoffed, taking the pillows and blanket off of his temporary host.

* * *

Straight into the plot! Woooo! Slow and uneventful...I know but it's going to get good soon! Promise! Cookies and love are given for reviews, any questions please feel free to message me. Other than that I hope everyone is well and doing ok! See you next time folks!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hello folks! Me again! Not really happy with this chapter if I'm honest but if it's that bad I'm sure you'll tell me and I'll myself into gear! Enjoy!

* * *

It was another sleepless night for Cloud Strife. He stared up at the ceiling for hours, his mind ticking over the day's events, just like clockwork. It had been a shock, to say the least, when Snow had showed up. If the blonde was honest he had forgotten who he was dealing with when it came to Snow. His laid back but exaggerated attitude got to him sometimes. The swordsman yawned silently and turned over onto his side in a feeble attempt to gain a more sleep-worthy position but to no avail.

He was concerned about Tifa more than anything. He had not told Tifa anything about what had happened all those years ago, he couldn't find the right way to put it. So, in true Cloud style, he left it to brew inside of him however, it did not eat away at him as he had expected. Instead his mind slowly blanked out the images and the memories, erasing them like chalk from a board. It saddened him at first but soon he came to accept the fact that his mind just wanted to blot out things that caused him pain and what was so wrong with that anyway? He had done it before hadn't he?

Cloud was happy for Tifa and his family to live in blissful unawareness of his private adventures but now everything was screwed up. He was going to have to explain himself and worst of all, in order to do that he was going to need to remember. Cloud's eyes closed slowly as his mind made him sadly aware of how he couldn't even picture Lightning's face anymore.

* * *

Cloud "lightly" prodded his foot into Snows shoulder, making sure to dig right into him as he did and sure enough the sleeping man awoke

"What the hell Cloud?!" he screeched, rolling over onto his back in a dreary state

"Get up. It's time to move."

"It's six in the morning!" Snow yelled, glancing over at the clock

"And you're burning daylight. Move." The blonde walked away in the wake of Snow's endless groans of annoyance and the sound brought a smirk to his face.

Cloud had been preparing to head out for a good hour, just packing small provisions in case they were to run into trouble. However, that was not his main reason for waking so early. Denzel had been more troublesome as of late; he was desperate for Cloud to show him how to wield a weapon of some kind or ways of defending himself. Usually Cloud would have no issues with this but the way the boy had been talking lately coupled with his requests worried the blonde. He kept talking about his parents, about how he could have stopped it if he had known how and that to Cloud sounded like he was motivated by revenge.

Both he and Tifa had agreed to refuse Denzel's requests until he was old enough to understand but the look he gave Cloud each time...well it broke the swordsman's heart. He knew what he was doing to Denzel when he said no, he was taking away his chance of moving on from his parent's deaths but he didn't have a choice. So, with a heavy heart, Cloud would have to withstand Denzel's sorrowful eyes that seemed to dig into him every time he saw them. This "adventure" he was about to go on would not put these requests from Denzel to rest by any means, in fact Cloud presumed that the young boy would want to join them. _That_ was something he had to avoid facing.

* * *

The blonde stepped outside of the bar to be met with a cool, crisp breeze storming its way through Edge but the sky seemed clear enough for their trek. Where they were going, Cloud did not know but he trusted Snow enough to lead him to whatever it was they were trying to find. He closed his eyes as the soft breeze rolled through once more; it ruffled his hair gently and cleared his senses. If there was one thing on the planet that Cloud was grateful for, it was the calming sensation of the morning air.

Snow stumbled out of the bar, his hair dishevelled by an obvious rough night's sleep. As he gave Cloud an evil eye he grumbled something in his direction merely making Cloud smirk "how far out are we going?" the blonde asked, swinging his leg over Fenrir. Snow sat comfortably on the strange bike that Cloud had spotted from the previous evening; the more the swordsman looked at it the more he seemed to remember "about an hour's ride." Snow answered, starting up his bike. Tifa appeared behind Cloud just as he was about to start up Fenrir "be safe, ok?"

"Yeah..." he answered, not meeting her gaze. He knew what she wanted...she wanted answers, but Cloud just couldn't give them to her at the moment "tell Marlene and Denzel I'll be back later...by the time they get back from school."

"Ok." Tifa said no more and Cloud couldn't help feeling a stab of guilt as he left her in the dark about this stranger. Both Snow and Cloud sped off together through the streets of Edge, heading towards the back streets. Cloud stayed a little ahead in order to keep Snow on the right track; he knew his mind could wander sometimes. However, Cloud could only lead so far as by the time they had left Edge, Snow was clearly at the front.

* * *

They glanced at each other at some points, not out of concern for the other's wellbeing but out of paranoia. It was safe to say that they weren't exactly "comfortable" with each other as of yet. Mile after mile they travelled and Cloud began to wonder if Snow did indeed know where they were actually going but his companions determined face caused him to say nothing.

Soon enough, however, Cloud could not hold his silence "Snow!" he shouted across the wasteland as they travelled at high speeds. Snow glanced over and immediately put the brakes on his vehicle causing the swordsman to do the same, they halted in roughly the same position and waited for the dust to clear before speaking again "how much further?" Cloud asked, pulling his goggles off and giving them a quick clean. Snow did not answer him as he slid off his bike and headed over to a large cluster of rocks which barricaded a huge cliff. He began to climb a few of them and managed to get high enough in order to see over the very last rock "not far." He finally answered, turning back to Cloud with a confident smile.

"Are you serious?" Cloud mumbled as the pair of them began to slowly make their way down the face of the cliff "this is insane."

"Oh don't be such a wet blanket Cloud!" Snow yelled, grunting as he moved from ledge to ledge

"How exactly do you expect to get back up?"

"I did it before didn't I? So just shut up and keep going." Snow replied, his head often turning to check the remaining length of their descent. Cloud shook his head in irritation; his foot often got stuck in some of the crevices as he climbed down "seriously Snow!" he grimaced as he wedged his foot out of another hole with great difficulty.

The ground shook as they jumped the last few meters "ow! My fucking foot man!" Snow exclaimed, hopping over to the nearest rock and leaning against it "ah!" While Snow rubbed his foot, Cloud went excavating. Surveying the scene he eventually came to find a boat load of nothing

"What are we looking for Snow?"

"Follow me." Snow answered, walking ahead of Cloud. When Snow stopped the swordsman laid eyes on a small crate sized metal box

"The hell is that?!" Cloud questioned, walking up behind Snow

"You tell me." He answered, bending down in front of it. It was an unusual looking device that was largely concealed; it looked as though the main body of it was buried beneath the earth. Two metal rods stood out from the top and an incessant beeping sound came from deep beneath the surface "we need to dig it out." Snow quipped, digging his fingers into the ground around it

"Woah...hang on a second. Do you even know what this thing is? Is this what got you here? Snow it could be a goddamn bomb for all you know!"

"Well does it look like there's anything else around here? I woke up right next to this thing and it was beeping like crazy!"

"So why didn't you dig it out then?" Cloud poked, his eyes narrowing at his companion. Snow looked away from him for a moment

"I was kind of freaked out at the time so I didn't really think of that!" Cloud paused

"What actually happened Snow?" the blonde asked, thinking back to when Cosmos had appeared to him. He hoped that Snow would describe a similar experience and that this "machine" was just an old Shin-ra tracking device that had been left to expire "I don't really remember. I was in this building..."

"What building? A derelict building? A shopping mall? What?"

"It was a company that provides Pulse with electricity and other resources. Sarah had got a job there as a receptionist and I went into see her to let her know what was happening with Lightning's disappearance." Snow shut his eyes almost painfully, Cloud could see him straining to remember "there was this room...and it was totally empty...I went in. I don't know why...that's the last thing I remember before waking up here." He finished, still not meeting Cloud's gaze.

The blonde took out his mobile and started flicking through his contacts "what are you doing?" Snow asked, climbing to his feet

"We're going to need somebody who know their stuff when it comes to this." Cloud answered, putting the phone to his ear "hey Cid...I need a favour."

* * *

**A/N:**Next chapter will be a much longer one, I hope that makes up for the two previous short ones. I'm going to try and get a lot of characters from FF7 involved in this story as it was mostly FF13 in the previous one (OBVIOUSLY!) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that and are looking forward to the next chapter. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUY'S ARE THINKING! Are you liking it so far? Is Snow a bit out of character? Do you miss Lightning? Or just stopping by to say hi? LET ME KNOW! I love to hear from you! **More reviews means quicker updates people!** See you next time folks!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while! It's been a hectic few weeks for me but on the plus side I GOT INTO UNIVERSITY! So all is good! Some people are commenting on how Cloud and Snow seem a little OOC at the moment, I am fully aware of this but I just need a little time to get back into the swing of writing there characters. If I'm honest I never really liked Snow as a character, I find him very one dimensional and dull but thats just me. Anyway, hopefully this is a little better. Enjoy!

* * *

"What in the name o' hell ya'll brought me here for boy?!" Cid yelled to Cloud as the Shera's engines cooled. Cloud squinted through the clearing dust and managed to make out his friends shape, Cid was as cocky as ever. Toothpick in his mouth and dog tags galore, Cid was quite a picture for an "old timer". Cloud smirked slightly as he approached "thanks for coming."

"Don't get all girly on me, whaddya' want Cloud?"

"You got any tools up on the Shera?"

"Tools? Hell, I gotta shed load of crap. What kind of tools you needin'?" Cid answered, rubbing the stubble on his chin with his thumb

"Digging tools." Cloud answered, gesturing to the metal prods that stuck out from the small box on the ground. Cid crouched to get a better look

"The hell is that noise?"

"There's more of it buried beneath the ground. That's where the noise is coming from." Snow answered, crouching down to Cid's level

"The hell are you?"

"Snow. Snow Villiers." He grinned, holding out a hand for Cid to shake but Cid turned his head cautiously to Cloud

"He with you?"

"Yeah, he's... an old friend." Cloud answered

"Old friend? Ha! Cloud you got ya head screwed on right now, you sure he's an "old friend"?" Cid questioned, now pulling himself to his feet. Cloud glared at him, his shoulders tensed and through gritted teeth he changed the subject "we need this thing out."

"Alright, alright, don't get ya panties in a twist. I'm sure I got something on the Shera that'll get it out, whatever it is." Cid replied "the others are on there waiting for ya Cloud." He finished, inspecting the device a little more closely

"Others?" Snow asked, glancing at Cloud but the swordsman was already on his way to the airship.

* * *

It had been a while since Cloud had seen his friends...if that's what you'd call them. Team mates maybe? Ah, the blonde didn't really know but it had been far too long since he'd seen them. As he boarded the Shera he was met by a one of the crew "Mr Strife! It's been a while! How are you?"

"It's good to see you Frank. Where are the others?"

They're all up on the bridge as usual sir."

"Thanks." Cloud answered, walking swiftly passed the man to the nearest flight of stairs. Snow was at his heels but the blonde knew he was taking his time studying the inside of the airship "this is awesome Cloud!" he commented, his eyes glancing in every direction "is this the Highwind?!"

"No." The blonde answered causing Snow's face to dim "this is the Shera."

"What happened to the Highwind?"

"It got given to those who need it more than us." Cloud answered, swivelling the door handle to the main bridge. The door opened with a heavy clunk and the swordsman stepped in gingerly. He had not been on the Shera for some time now, he almost felt like a stranger but he certainly wasn't treated like one "Spiky!" Yuffie screamed as she took a running leap towards Cloud. The blonde stepped back a little to avoid her small frame from landing on him "how've you been man?! I haven't seen you in like...a gazzilion years!" she smiled. Cloud smirked slightly

"It's nice to see you too Yuffie." Cloud proceeded to step past her and greet his other companions. Vincent stood proudly towards the back of the room, his arms folded and eyes locked with Clouds "hello Cloud." He whispered softly

"Vincent."

"How are you?" he asked. Both Vincent and Cloud knew this was not a question out of concern, nor was it out of a genuine interest in Cloud's daily life. This question was to probe into Cloud's mental state, how he was coping in his new lifestyle "I'm fine, Vincent." He said strongly and turned his attention to Red XIII "Nanaki." He half smiled, bending down to gently pat his head

"Good afternoon Cloud." He answered

"How are you?"

"I would be perfect if it were not for my current ailment."

"Ailment?"

"The fur-balls got a cold." Cid said, walking through the door. Red XIII growled slightly but it was clear to see that it was, in fact, a mere cold he had

"Where's Barret?" Cloud asked, fixing his eyes on Cid

"He's at some conference, something to do with some new energy supplier. I'll be damned if I know what it's all about." The man answered. Cid headed over to the far end of the bridge to another stairwell that led down into the heart of the Shera, it was clear that he going to fetch some of these tools he had mentioned.

Cloud glanced back at Snow who was looking uncomfortable to say the least, especially as Vincent kept giving him a glare "everyone this is Snow. He's with me." And suddenly the room relaxed, as if there was a weight lifted off everyone's shoulders.

Whilst the group greeted the newcomer Vincent and Cloud went off to the edge of the bridge "what do you want Cloud? You haven't brought us all together since Sephiroth came back. He's not-"

"No. I just...need your help with something."

"You asking for help? There's a new one."

"So is you actually saying more than five words." Cloud bit back. After a lengthily pause the blonde continued "a friend of mine and Snow's...she's missing. We need to find her."

"Who?"

"No one you know."

"Any idea of the whereabouts where she went missing?" Vincent asked, lowering his arms to his side. That was the good thing about Vincent; he wouldn't get too involved in other people's business unless he had to. Cloud thought for a moment, Vincent posed a good question. In fact, how did they even know that she was here? "Snow!" Cloud called, walking towards the huddled mass of people

"Hmm?" He answered, a smile plastered over his features

"How do you even know she's here with you? In Edge? She could be off...well...somewhere else." Cloud's face was stern but his eyebrows were raised suspiciously.

At no point did he ever question Snow's honesty but suddenly he began to feel uneasy. Snow looked at the floor sadly for a moment before reaching into one of his coat pockets "when I woke up..." he began, pulling out a red side bag that Cloud faintly recognised. It was covered in blood. "I found this." Snow finished, drawing everyone into a deep silence.

Even Cid, who had emerged from the basement of the ship, had paused to look "well that don't look too pretty now does it?" He mumbled. Cloud took the bag from Snow and turned away from the group, he shut his eyes tightly as a wash of images flashed through his head.

"_Hey" Cloud whispered to her "time to fix you up", Lightning managed to turn her back to him and again rested the side of her head to the wall "ugh…you're gonna' need t-to take off your…ugh…" Slowly she slipped it off and it fell to the ground with a mighty thump, next was the leather, crop top she wore underneath. Painfully, she managed to raise her arm up to the zip and pulled it down gently and groaned as she took it off "is that alright?" _

_"Yeah." The blonde rummaged through her red satchel and pulled out the medical supplies she kept in there "ready?" _

"You okay Cloud?" Yuffie asked, poking her head around the blondes shoulder to get another look at the bag

"Yeah I'm fine." He answered, his eyes still squinted. The blonde turned around again and looked at Red XIII apologetically "you know I would never ask you to do this Nanaki...for fear of disrespecting you but-"  
"Cloud, you have saved my life on more than one occasion. You may ask me anything you wish." He replied, Cloud smiled slightly at his friend before holding the bag out to him "would you find her? Or at least..some kind of...trail she might have left."

"You want him to be some goddamn sniffer dog?!" Cid laughed, lifting some shovels onto his shoulder. Red XIII growled in response but Cloud took this as a sign that he would do it. The swordsman smiled at him slightly as his friend leaned into the bag "I'll do my best." He finished before heading towards the exit "shouldn't we go with him?" Snow asked, his face looking more panicked now that the topic of Lightning had been brought up

"You won't keep up with him." Vincent answered

"Well he's obviously never been on a tracking trip with _me_ has he?" Snow replied, his face looking smug. The bridge remained silent for a moment as Snow's comment lingered "why don't ya'll head back to the bar whilst I dig this thing up, I'll meet ya back there and we'll take a closer look."

"How are you gonna get it back to the bar Cid?" Cloud asked, raising an eyebrow

"The Shera dumbass, I aint walking!"

* * *

It had been a few hours since the group had returned to Tifa's bar. Yuffie had offered to stay and help Cid and his crew dig out the object which left Cloud, Snow and Vincent sat in silence at the front of the bar. It was not a busy day when it came to customers; in fact it was unusually quiet. The radio chattered behind the bar giving some backdrop to their current situation _"...and in other news a new company called TRANSIT will be setting up just outside of our main city Edge later on this year. With any luck it will provide thousands more jobs for the people in the area and perhaps even people further afield. We have a member of the TRANSIT team in the studio with us today actually, Mr Brian Mellango...tell me Brian, what kind of company is this?"_

"_Well Todd, TRANSIT is a firm that delves into all sorts of things but our main interest here is developing renewable energy resources and distributing them to the people. Also, as you said, we're looking to help various cities economically as well by providing jobs and maybe even homes if the company expands enough."_

"_So it's a replacement for Shin-ra is basically what you're saying." _

"_Not a replacement as such. Of course, we won't be following the same route as Shin-ra. This company is about the people, that is what it's based on and we want to hear __**from **__the people. What are their needs, what do they want from us? Let us know."_

"_That's great and if you did have any comments at all please feel free to call in and ask Brian a question, the number is 0845 666 888. Please, do get in touch. Right, up next we have a man who claims to have fastest Chocobo on the planet, saying it can run at up to 80 miles per hour. All that and more right after this short word from our sponsors." _

"That's the company that Barret has gone to check out." Vincent spoke softly, his eyes never leaving the bottles that sat comfortably behind the bar

"Heard anything from him?" Cloud asked but Vincent just shook his head and they fell back into silence. Tifa poked her head around the doorway

"Anything?"

"Not yet." Cloud answered, his eyes still downcast. Snow's mood had certainly dropped since returning from the Shera, although Cloud couldn't blame him. The image of the bloodied satchel still ran clear through his mind, the thought made him wince. Even though Cloud's memories of their home were fuzzy, he could still remember that desperate need to make sure she was safe and that agonizing feeling was slowly feeding its way through his system once more. It kicked his adrenaline into gear making his hands tremble slightly as they rested on the bar. He hated waiting but the blonde understood that there was nothing more he could do for now.

With a few deep breaths, Cloud calmed himself and finally managed to glance up at Tifa but all he was met with were a few pangs of guilt rampaging through him at the sight of her confused features. He still hadn't fully explained the situation to them but how could he? What would he even say? How could he even begin to describe his experience?! Cloud sighed and looked away from her once more, turning his attention to a very focused Snow "we'll find her." Cloud spoke softly, in some feeble attempt at consoling him. Snow tightened his fists "we should be out there looking for her...not just waiting around!" he replied through gritted teeth

"Patience." Vincent answered, his darkened eyes never leaving the back wall of the bar

"Patience? That's my sister out there!" Snow spat

"..." Vincent answered. Cloud stopped himself from rolling his eyes

"Relax Snow. Like I said...we'll find her." Snow grumbled something under his breath as his shoulders tensed. The blonde swordsman could almost _feel_ the annoyance emanating from on his skin. Just as Cloud was about to excuse himself the door to the bar swung open with a heavy crash "god damn it! Will one of ya'll help me with this sonofa-" Cid cursed and stumbled his way into the bar, half carrying a large metal box.

Yuffie, who was clearly struggling to hold the object, grunted and groaned as they took slow steps into the building. Customers watched in confusion as they wobbled in through the doorway and Cloud had a right mind to kick them all out but Tifa was already on her way around, ushering out the curious punters. The blonde hopped up quickly and proceeded to hold the middle section of the object before placing it down onto the bar "jeez..." Yuffie wheezed

"You owe me a drink Cloud!" Cid yelled, huffing as he made his way behind the bar

"Cid!" Tifa yelled in protest but the pilot was already helping himself to Tifa's finest whiskey. Cloud, however, was more concerned with the object now in front of him. It was an exceptionally large metal box with a very complicated looking panel on the front. The panel glowed in various colours as if it were on standby for some kind of pass code and the beeping was coming from inside. Snow slid up beside Cloud and eyed the panel suspiciously "so..." he began, glancing around at his current companions "anybody got any bright ideas on how to open this thing?"

* * *

**A/N: **That's it for this chapter! Next installment is when things start to really kick up. Let me know what you think so far! See you next time folks!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ** Hi guys! Next chapter for you here! It't not my best at all! There's just something missing but I can't put my finger on it, maybe you guy's will figure it out! Enjoy!

* * *

"Humph!" Cloud grunted as he pushed down hard on his weapon of choice. With a firm grip he forced the bar down, his arms tightening as he did so. Suddenly, with a large snap, Cloud fell forward with a grumble "ah!" he hissed as he managed to catch his footing. The blonde turned hesitantly to his companions, the newly snapped crowbar in his hands "well that's one option exhausted." The swordsman threw the sharp piece of metal to the ground and sighed as he stared at the metal box. The brightly coloured panel was now decorated with a shard of steel sticking up from the side of it much to Cloud's discontent "so what's next?" Snow asked, propping himself up on the barstool. Silence engulfed the group once again but Cid soon piped up "I'll take a look at it. Can't be that hard to figure out!"

"It's asking for a passcode Cid…you're not a hacker." Yuffie commented, raising her eyebrow at him

"Yuffie, how long you known me woman?!"

"I dunno…eight years maybe?"

"And in all that time have ya'll ever known me to walk away from a challenge?" The whole group silently laughed as Yuffie rolled her eyes.

It was true; Cid was the most reliable out of all them to handle these sorts of situations "ya'll just get comfy. I'll have this thing open in no time." Cid got to work…or at least _tried_ to get to work.

As Cid began pressing buttons on the panel he noticed that the connection between the panel and his key presses wasn't the strongest. "Damnit spikey! You gone and got this piece of shit metal bar in my way!" Cid pulled at the piece of crowbar but as he did the lights on the panel flickered dangerously "shi—t" he said slowly, releasing his grip "I need to get that out." He mumbled, eyeing it carefully  
"Cid try this!" Tifa piped up, casually walking over and handing a hair grip to the pilot

"A hair grip? The hell do you think this is gonna' do Tifa?!" The woman sighed and took the pin back off of the pilot roughly

"Just watch." She answered. Tifa positioned the hair grip between the shard of metal and the panel, creating enough of a gap for her to pull the shard out.

A soft chuckle emanated from Vincent as he watched Tifa bask in her triumph.

That was something that was surprisingly odd for Vincent. It was true that recently he had become more attached to the group, Tifa especially. The way he looked at her sometimes…Cloud didn't know whether it was in his head but he was sure something was there. Whilst that thought brought him a small amount of pain there wasn't much he could do to change it. It had been too long for anything to develop between himself and Tifa, he was too late. The thought made him sigh and he forced his gaze away from the pair of them. Cloud smirked as he watched Cid's annoyance grow as he worked "a hair grip…shit…"

* * *

_"You tried to open this box"_

_"I-I…" Cloud sighed and ran a hand through his hair "I just needed to know more about this place, it's completely foreign to me…"_

_"You really believe you're Cloud don't you?" Lightning stated, looking away from him_

_"That's because I __am.__", the woman sighed and took a pin out of her hair which had now been put back into it's regular style _

_"Sit on the bed." she ordered as she placed the pin in the padlock_

_"Don't you have a key?" Cloud asked, doing as she requested_

_"No, I threw it away years ago."_

_"Why?"_

_"Just in case some blonde, spiky haired idiot decided to go through my things."_

* * *

That sharp pain stormed through him once again and so the blonde retired to the back room, his head felt as though it were on fire. Why now? Why was he choosing to remember now? "Cloud?" Tifa's voice sang. She appeared next to him suddenly and the blonde felt her hand on his shoulder "what's wrong?" Cloud couldn't answer her, how could he possibly even begin to explain? How could he justify keeping it all from her…after all this was his…family. How could he keep this from his family? The blonde bowed his head shamefully as Tifa's grip tightened "Cloud…"

"I'm not…" he started but the words wouldn't come "I can't even begin to…"

"Whatever it is…we'll face it together like we always do. We're a family now."

"I didn't want to put any of you in danger…I thought if I said anything then…" Cloud stopped and waited for her to speak again. He wanted her to reassure him like she always did, he wanted her to push him but instead he felt her hand drop from his shoulder "what happened?"

"Tifa, I-"

"What happened, Cloud?!" He met her stern gaze and suddenly felt extremely small

"Three years ago…I-"Suddenly, the pair were interrupted by Vincent who burst into the room

"Cloud, quickly. Come." He spoke before rushing out of the room once more. The blonde rose to his feet with Tifa at his heels.

The pair returned to the bar to see the group staring out of the window "what is it?" Cloud asked, opening the door to the bar and stepping outside

"Red XIII." Vincent answered. Snow quickly joined the pair on the doorstep

"The dog?! He's found her?!" he chimed, pushing in front of them and gazing out into the street. A howl ran through Edge and Cloud instantly recognised the sound. His eyes scanned the horizon in some hope of catching a red flash and in a great moment of relief he finally made out the shape of his friend. However, that moment of elation quickly subsided as the blonde realised that Red XIII was not approaching the city. He was howling as a call for help.

Vincent was already making his way towards him before Cloud could turn and make a plan "Snow, stay here and wait until we get back." Cloud ordered, climbing onto Fenrir

"You are joking right?" he answered, his eyes wide with disbelief. Cloud remained silent as he started up his engine but he was stopped from driving off by Snow who stood in front of his bike "you can't expect me to stay here!"

"Yes I can, and you will. Now step aside or I'll run you over."

"You wouldn't."

"Like I said before Snow, you're in my world now. You play by my rules, now move." A disgruntled Snow obliged finally, making sure that Cloud left him with the knowledge that Snow was pissed.

* * *

As Cloud drove out of Edge his heart pounded against his chest. His adrenaline pumped through him as he sped through the wasteland, the shape of Red XIII becoming ever clearer. He waited on top of a rock for the swordsman but as he drew ever closer the feline hoped off and trotted towards the blonde "Nanaki!" Cloud called as he slowed Fenrir "where's Vincent?"

"I sent him on ahead. The trail goes inside the Shin-ra building."

" The Shin-ra building?!"

"Yes. Cloud; there was blood at the entrance. I fear this woman you are looking for may be severely injured, we must hurry."

* * *

Red XIII kept up with Fenrir as they made their way to the old Shin-ra building. It had been derelict for quite some time now, although many wanted to see it pulled down the majority of the world wanted to let it stand as a symbol of the past. The mistakes the world made and the future ahead. Whilst this was a very moving idea, the building was still a death trap. Many young kids thought it was good sport to run around the area when the loose structure could cave in at any minute. The thought of Denzel or Marlene anywhere near it made Cloud feel sick.

As the building came into view Cloud's eyes narrowed. If he was completely honest he had no idea what to expect, he couldn't even remember Lightning's face all that clearly let alone predicting her response to her situation. Red XIII slowed as they turned into entrance of the building. Even now the sight sent a chill down Cloud's spine "you sure about this?" Cloud asked as he got off of his bike

"Positive." Sure enough as they approached the fallen entrance of the building that familiar metallic smell caused the blondes nose to twitch in disgust. The swordsman's eyes scanned the area for Vincent but to no avail, his best guess was that his friend had already endeavoured to climb inside of the wreckage "Vincent!" Cloud called as he made his way inside

"Shhh." Was the faint reply. In the distance Cloud could make out his friends cloak "the structure is weak, no shouting." He could say that again.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the whole thing could collapse at any moment. Every step they took a creak would echo throughout the whole building, shards of metal and splintered wood stuck out from every corner and the dust which had settled made it difficult to breath. It was clear that nature was beginning to get its own back too, vines had started to crawl their way up the walls, clambering their way in to every corner they could find.

Red XIII led the way, his nose placed firmly to the floor at times however the blood trail was the biggest hint they had. Even if it wasn't Lightning they found, they would at least find a clue as to her whereabouts. As they carefully made their way forward Cloud couldn't help but stare intently at the blood that had been spilled on the floor.

* * *

_Lightning attempted to lift herself up but the wounds on her back stretched and split further down her skin, releasing a small howl of pain from her lips. As blood dripped and rolled down blades of damp grass the Behemoth approached her hungrily, it's nose high after picking up the scent of spilt crimson. Cloud however, was already one step ahead. _

_He himself now attempted the move that Lightning had previously tried in the hopes of catching it off guard causing it to rear onto it's back legs in attempt to throw him off but to avail. Cloud plunged his sword into the beast's neck emitting a roar of agony from the creature, and as the blonde continued to push through the tough flesh the animal began to sink to the ground in a heavy heap, dark liquid spewing from it's open wound as Cloud pulled out his sword "humph…" Cloud grunted as he jumped off the fallen beast "ah!" Lightning seethed as she pulled herself to her knees_

_"Lightning!"_

* * *

"Cloud…" Red XIII spoke softly. The blonde's companions stopped in their tracks as a shape came into view, a shape which Cloud faintly recognised. He rushed forward, his shoulder brushing harshly against Vincent's as he did and dropped to his knees at the side of the bloodied heap.

The blonde gulped softly and gently turned the person's face towards him "…Lightning." He sighed, taking in her lifeless features. Her lip was split open and a small trail of blood descended from it but that was possibly the least concerning thing. Her hair was splattered with red, as were her clothes which were practically torn into ribbons! But Cloud was more focused on her hands. They were covering a wound on her stomach which was still pouring with blood profusely. Cloud hesitated before checking for a pulse, it was there but barely.

Vincent and Red XIII approached gingerly as Cloud held her "is this the woman?" Vincent asked, staring down at her limp body

"Yes."

"Is she alive?" Red XIII asked, staring at her over Cloud's shoulder

"Yes." The blonde repeated, standing as he did. He held Lighting in his arms as he began to make his way out of the Shin-ra building

"Cloud…" Vincent started but the swordsman didn't stop. Lightning need medical attention and fast. A wave of questions suddenly hit Cloud, would Materia work on her? What about Potions? A Phoenix Down maybe? Come to think of it, would she even remember him? After all, he had been struggling to remember her so why should she be any different?

As Cloud placed Lightning on Fenrir a pain struck him, what if she died? "Nanaki…go on ahead and warn everyone but tell Snow not to panic, got it? Also, tell Tifa to set up the spare room and to keep Marlene and Denzel out of there." His friend left without hesitation "Vincent…are you coming?"

"I'm going to stay and see if I can find anything. I'll be back later." He answered, folding his arms as he continued to stare at Lightning. Cloud nodded briefly and set off in the wake of Red XII.

* * *

Whilst the bar went into chaos as Cloud rushed in with a body in his arms, all the blonde heard was silence. His eyes were fixed on the spare room as he swiftly moved through his home "Lightning!" Snow called as he ran into the bedroom after her. Cloud placed her slowly on the bed and had a look at the wound on her stomach "Cloud…?!" Tifa pressed, her eyes wide at the sight of the wounded woman

"It's a gunshot wound…" the blonde answered

"What kind of gunshot wound?" Snow asked, taking off his trench coat and handing it to Cloud

"Shotgun shell by the looks of it." He answered, applying pressure with the trench coat

"Cloud, what do you want us to do?" Tifa asked

"I don't know, Tifa. I'm not really thinking at the moment!" Cloud snapped

"Materia?"

"It won't work on her…"

"Why no-"

"It just won't!"

"I'm calling Reeve." Tifa finally said, picking up her cell phone

"What's he going to do?"

"He's got access to the best medical care in all of Gaia."

"He won't get here in time Tifa." Cloud protested but she had already dialled. Cid suddenly charged into the madness

"Ya'll go an' tell him I'll come an' get him."

"Thanks Cid." Tifa replied before walking out of the room. In the distance Cloud could vaguely hear her talking but it was all just noise to him. At that moment all he could think about was keeping her breathing, he couldn't lose someone else; he didn't want that blood on his hands "come on Lightning, stay with me.

* * *

**A/N: **Another cliff hanger for you I'm afraid! But hurrah! Lightning's back! If you feel as though the last part of this chapter was rushed, I'd just like to clarify that it was meant to be as it was meant to be quite a rushed scene if you get what I mean. More talking than description! Please let me know what you guys think and if you're enjoying the story, it keeps me writing! Until next time folks!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, I've had a busy weekend. A bit of a longer chapter today to make up for it. It's a little confusing toward the end and I've re-read it loads just to make sure there aren't any plot holes but y'know...let me know what you think please because I'm quite worried about this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

It took 15 minutes for Reeve and his team to arrive. They were longest minutes of Cloud's life, he had done as much as he could and by the time they had got there Cloud had thought it was over. They had ushered him and everyone else out of the room, even Snow who had not stopped pacing since the team had got to work. The blonde would have tried to reassure him but he too was feeling anxious. His hands shook slightly as he watched the door patiently, what was taking so long? The blonde stood up and walked over to see if he could hear anything but there was only silence "she's gonna' be fine!" Snow protested, his eyes wide with obvious panic "…right?"

"I don't know Snow."

"What the hells the matter with you? Come on! She'll be fine! Lightning always jumps back."

"Cloud…!" Cid called, the pilot was now leant forward in his seat with his eyes fixed on the swordsman "I think it's about time you told us just what n' the hell's going on boy." Cloud remained silent, his eyes causally glancing at the closed door every now and then

"Cloud." Red XIII spoke "I agree with Cid. Consider the fact that we have no idea who that woman is or even who this man is." He finished, gesturing to Snow. Cloud sighed and eyed Tifa as she stood behind the bar. She had been worryingly silent since Reeve had arrived but Cloud didn't need to wonder much to figure out why.

She stared into space, not a flicker of emotion crossing her features and that gnawing guilt began to scratch in Cloud's stomach once again "wait a minute…" Snow began "you didn't tell them?" he questioned, his brow furrowing as he spoke. Everyone in the room suddenly turned their eyes to Cloud, he could feel them burning into him like daggers "I…"

"You're telling me that you disappeared for a good two weeks, maybe even longer…and not one person noticed?!" he exclaimed

"Snow!" Cloud snapped but the damage was done

"Disappeared? Cloud, what's he talking about?" Tifa questioned, now stepping out from the bar. The swordsman was now backed into a corner, how could he escape? His so called friends closed in around him, every direction his looked he was met with a glaring face. He was trapped "Cloud!" Tifa snapped and the blonde finally relented.

He lamented his story, sparing detail where he could. Whilst Cloud was able to give his story without missing out anything important there were patchy areas, blanks that hadn't been filled in yet. Before they had found her, as far as he knew him and Lightning had developed a mutual understanding but after seeing her like that. In a way that made his stomach turn and his head spin, the blonde was convinced that this relationship had developed beyond that. Cloud wasn't nuts about the idea of his whole group knowing about this…"relationship" with Lightning. He knew that he needed to remember things clearly before anybody else started poking and prodding through his head again.

Once he had finished Cloud sat in silence, his peers staring at both him and Snow with awed expressions. Even Cid, who was usually so full of cocky words was left speechless at the prospect of Sephiroth invading another world. It sounded crazy and Cloud knew it but it was the truth, a truth that he had kept from them for a long time. Snow stood with a smug look on his face once Cloud had finished, as if he expected some round of applause for his efforts "so, what are you some kind o' alien?" Cid asked with his brow furrowed. Snow's mouth dropped open

"No Cid! I'm-"

"He's joking Snow." Cloud mumbled, narrowing his eyes at Cid in response to his mockery. Tifa sighed loudly and shook her head

"I can't believe you kept this from us…"

"I didn't know how to say it." Cloud answered. Shifting his gaze to the floor, the swordsman sighed "I don't fully remember everything…it's-…hard to explain." But it was quite clearly too late for excuses

"You should have told us." Tifa muttered to herself

"Tifa…" The door swung open and a few men in blue uniforms quietly walked out followed by Reeve. Snow rushed over to him and looked at him expectantly

"Well?"

"You're lucky that you found her when you did. An hour or so more and she would have been beyond my aid." He said remorsefully. Cloud's gaze reached beyond Reeve, passed his professional façade and into the room behind him. His gut instinct was to get in there as soon as possible but he understood that Snow took priority here "is she awake?" Cloud asked, taking his mind off of the fact that he would have to wait longer before he could question Lightning. Reeve shook his head slowly and adjusted his coat "I couldn't tell you how long she'll be out for. It could be an hour, it could be a week. You just need to wait and see." Snow's eyes hit the ground as Reeve spoke, the distress in his face obvious for all to see "well at least she's alive, right?"

"Yes." Reeve answered, smiling slightly at Snow's sudden optimism. With that knowledge at hand Snow made his way past Reeve and into the spare room. His steps were slow and almost hesitant but sure enough he was soon by Lightning's side.

When he was clearly out of earshot Reeve made his way over to Cloud and eyed him carefully "I don't know who this woman is or what connection these people have to you Cloud, but I know that if you get involved with them you're going to put everyone at risk."

"What?!" Cloud exclaimed, his eyes widening at Reeve's outburst. The man pulled out a plastic packet from his pocket, contained within it was a rather large shotgun shell that was bloodied on some areas. It was a strange shape, one that Cloud had not seen before and by hearing what Reeve said next it sounded like he hadn't either "this is the shell we pulled out of her abdominin…Cloud this is something foreign to me. I've seen my fair share of weapons in my time but even Shin-ra didn't have anything like this."

"What's so different about it Reeve?" Yuffie asked, cocking her head to one side. Reeve sighed and held up the bag for the rest of the group to see

"The shell doesn't seem to be encasing your usual lead pellet. No, it's protecting something more aggressive than that. I'll need to go back to the WRO labs to get it scanned and analysed but one thing is for certain…whoever fired this didn't intend for the shot to kill her, it's something else."

"You mean like a poison?" Cloud asked, folding his arms tightly

"Perhaps but we won't know until we look. I'll let you know what my findings are as soon as I can Cloud." There was a lengthily pause and for a moment Cloud wondered if everyone was staring at him again with that look of anger but instead he found most people staring at the now open door that led into Lightning's current recuperation lounge. Snow's voice could be heard, he was obviously whispering comforting things to his wounded companion but whether Lightning was with it enough to hear him they didn't know. Reeve cast his attention to the contraption they had managed to dig out, it's beeping still ringing throughout the bar "what's this?"

"That's what we're tryin' to find out!" Cid answered, brushing his thumb against his nose. Whilst Reeve and Cid discussed the possibilities of cracking code on the front panel , Cloud approached Tifa gingerly "I couldn't tell you…"

"It's okay Cloud." She answered, almost with a smile. The blonde gasped silently, his eyes slightly wider at this change of heart from his long-time friend

"What?" he mumbled

"I've known you long enough to understand that you keep things from us." She chuckled, staring at him with vacant eyes

"Keep things from you? But I-"

"Cloud…" Tifa shook her head with that same look on her face before turning back to Reeve and Cid. Cloud was left to his thoughts for a moment, she didn't care? As far as Cloud's understanding of women went, to him this meant something was wrong but looking at her…the way she seemed carefree with the rest of the group told Cloud something completely different altogether. Maybe Tifa had just had enough of Cloud's mysteries…maybe she was finally putting him second.

* * *

Snow emerged from the room, his eyes downcast and he seemed almost hesitant but nonetheless he approached Reeve and gratefully shook his hand "thank you." Cloud heard him mumble. The blonde took this as an opportunity to venture inside of the spare room, his heart picking up the pace a little as he did.

She was just lying there, motionless and cold. Her head was turned away from Cloud and he had a mind to adjust her so he could see her face but he thought he had better not. The blonde took a set on the chair that was next to the bed and silently watched her. The bed sheets were stained with red as were her clothes but Reeve and the team had all but removed everything from her. She only had her crop top and brown skirt to cover her but it enabled Cloud to see the scar that travelled its way from her naval to the beginning of her ribs.

The blonde stood up gently and sat next to her on the bed; he raised his hand and softly turned her face towards him. It went against his better judgement but he couldn't help himself. Her eyes were only lightly shut so to him it seemed like that she could wake at any moment but he continued with his investigations. Her bottom lip was no longer bleeding but a maroon coloured scab had formed, a purple bruise also surrounding it with just enough vibrancy for Cloud to assume that this was more than just a shooting.

Forgetting himself Cloud ran his finger along the newly stitched scar, taking care not to pull on any of the WRO's handy work. The blonde found himself shaking his head at the sight of the damage, how could one shot cause so much havoc? Cloud removed his hand from her wound and instead chose to focus on moving stray strands of hair from her face. The more he looked at her the more he began to remember that infamous attitude she had with him, it made him smirk "how is she looking?" Red XIII asked, slowly making his way into the room. Cloud retracted his hand from her head and stood with haste to allow his friend to see "what did you say her name was?"

"Lightning."

"Hmmm.." Red XIII replied, a smile evident in his voice

"What?"

"It's just…Cloud and Lightning? Sounds a little ironic don't you think?" The blonde scoffed and allowed Red XIII to observe her in peace.

* * *

For a whole hour they sat in silence. None of them really knew what to do with themselves; all they could do was wait. Wait for Cid to turn around a yell gloriously that he had cracked the code, wait for Vincent to return with the news that he'd found some kind of clue at the Shin-ra building and even more distressing was waiting for Lightning to wake up. Cloud, however, knew that the latter was going to take longer than anything else and so he busied himself with trying to help Cid.

The pilot was looking frustrated, his face slightly redder than usual and the swordsman was almost afraid to ask how the hacking plan was going so he went straight to trying to be of use "is there anything I can do to help?" Cloud asked quietly, taking the seat opposite Cid

"Ah! I think we've had it Cloud. There ain't no way o' getting this thing open!" he said in an almost deflated tone. Snow, who was sat over the other side of the room, lifted his head slowly and approached the pair "let me have a look." He spoke, leaning over the panel. As he scanned the front Cloud could have sworn the beeping inside got faster. The blonde's brow furrowed as he leaned in closer "can you guy's hear that?" he asked

"You telling me you only _just_ started hearing that beeping?!" Cid yelled sarcastically but Cloud ignored him. Snow eyed him carefully

"What are you talking about?"

"Snow, stand over by the bar." The man did as he was requested and Cloud leaned in close to the metal box again. The beeping had slowed "now move back here but slowly…" As Snow took light steps forward the noise, once again, became much faster and suddenly a spark of determination filled Cid and Cloud's eyes. They both turned to Snow who now resembled a deer caught in the headlights and approached him quickly "wha-?"

"Just stand still boy!" Cid grumbled as the pair of them scanned him. Cloud didn't know what they were looking for but one thing was absolutely certain, Snow was connected to the box in some way. As the blonde looked over him he suddenly noticed something on Snow's neck "what's that?"

"Huh?" Snow gasped but Cloud was already brushing his yellow hair aside. On the back of his neck the swordsman spotted a small black circle, his eyes narrowed as he carefully tapped it with his index finger "ow!" Snow practically yelped, grabbing his neck in response "what the hell was that?"

"I don't know…turn around." After much flinching and wincing Cloud was able to latch on to the microscopic dot and yank it out of Snow's neck leaving a small bloody trail in its wake. The swordsman gazed at the four tiny spikes that had been embedded into his friend's neck and the little black box that was attached to them "what the hell is that?" Snow asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Cloud remained silent but shook his head briefly

"Well whatever it is…it doesn't exactly look good." Cid sighed, sitting back down in his seat

"You're being tracked." A voice commented and the whole company turned to find Vincent silently leaning against the entrance. He graciously approached the group, a determined look pressed upon his features and, without a shred of doubt; he threw a stack of papers onto the table in front of them. Carefully they examined them but each of them were still confused as to what their relevance was to their current predicament "what is this Vincent?" Cloud asked, picking up one of the sheets

"Time sheets. I'm going to assume that these are print outs from that machine there." He answered, gesturing to the metal box "and this…" he continued, picking up the small black device that had been casually embedded into Snow's neck "…is the tracker."

"I still don't get it. How do you know this?" Snow asked, his brow furrowing

"Look at the times and the distances. They correlate with the time you have spent with us." Cloud read through the sheets

"He's right…looks like the distances are how many meters you are away from this…machine."

"So, whoever did this…they know I've been here this whole time?"

"Seems that way." Cid said. The group remained in silent for a moment before Snow spoke again, his voice filled with more urgency

"What would they want me for? I've got nothing!"

"Correct, because it's not you they want." Vincent replied, folding his arms calmly. Cloud locked eyes with Vincent for a moment before it finally clicked

"Lightning." The blonde spoke "they want Lightning."

"It seems as though Lightning tried to hide these sheets before she got caught…or collapsed." The gunman spoke softly

"Hang on, that doesn't make any sense…how could Lightning try to hide data with _my_ information on it? She got here before me!" Snow exclaimed, looking as puzzled as ever

"I found _your_ data around the area where we dug out this contraption. The other sheets of paper date all the way back to three weeks ago, they are the ones that I found stashed underneath some rubble in the Shin-ra building."

"You mean this is Lightning's data?" Cloud asked and his dark haired friend nodded slowly "she must have caught on…"

"So what does this mean for us exactly?" Cid asked, yawning slightly as the conversation drew on

"Surely it means that Lightning's not safe here?" Yuffie suggested, suddenly jumping into the conversation but Cloud shook his head

"Snow didn't go to the Shin-ra building with us. Aside from going to dig this thing out, he's been here the whole time."

"So what do we do?" Snow asked, still staring at the black chip that had been placed on him

"We can't destroy that." Vincent said, also gazing at the tracker "if we do…whoever it is will know we've found it."

"Then we take it somewhere far away."

"And who do you propose will do that now eh?" Cid spat, glaring at the blonde. Clearly Cid felt his airship had done enough duties for one day…either that or it was time for his nap. Cloud sighed and was about to suggest that _he_ went away, after all it may have been the best thing to do in order to avoid a confrontation with Lightning but instead a chirpy voice piped up "I'll take it!" Yuffie sang, grabbing the device from the table

"Yuffie…wait!" Cloud called before she skipped out of the door

"Come on Cloud, I'm a big girl now." Yuffie winked, nudging him with her elbow

"Are you sure?" he asked, feeling guilty about asking such a big favour from her

"Of course! I'll take it to the Da Chao Mountain in Wutai! That's pretty much the furthest you can get from here!"

"It'll be dangerous Yuffie, especially if these people come looking for you." Vincent contributed, unfolding his arms

"Vincent! Please! I'm the great ninja Yuffie Kisaragi! Those bad guys won't stand a chance!" She beamed. The men eventually caved and allowed her to head off on her way but not before one last argument "-but y'know Cloud…it may just be an extra precaution to take-"

"You're _**not**_ having any of my material Yuffie!"

* * *

Once Yuffie had gone on her way the group was still faced with a taxing question, what were they to do with the machine they had dug up? Vincent had eventually suggested they keep it, convincing them that perhaps they could find out who was responsible for all of this if they could get the panel open.

Whilst Cid continued to work Snow continued to read through the sheets that Vincent had brought back, his face seemed to contort into twisted shapes of confusion the longer he looked "I don't understand this…" he spoke, his voice loud as he threw the sheets back onto the table "this says that Lightning should have been here for at least three weeks…but she's only been missing for a matter of days!" Cloud sighed and sat himself down

"We're not gonna' understand anything until she wakes up Snow and we don't know when that's gonna' be so get comfy."

* * *

**A/N:** I know it's a little confusing at the moment but obviously there are things to find out when Lightning wakes up...IF she ever does! mwhahaha. Reviews are loved as always, they keep me writing so the more reviews the quicker the updates essentially. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you next time folks!


End file.
